Answered questions

I believe that I can use my skills and background to make a difference in our community. I have a positive attitude and will use this to bring about a spirit of cooperation on the BCC and to the community.

I am running for office for several reasons. First, I think the county needs the conservative, stable leadership that I can bring. Receiving the endorsement from 2 theoretically opposed groups, the Indian River Neighborhood Association and the Treasure Coast Builders Association, shows that I am a consensus builder and not an agitator. We need community leaders that can bring diverse groups together to work to find solutions for the common good, and I have proven to be able to do so. I am also running to fulfill certain initiatives to help job creation, such as the Tax Abatement proposal on the November ballot.

We should follow the current Comprehensive Plan that is now in effect. There is no reason to change our Land Development regulations. However, I do not believe in or support the idea of transferring development rights from outside the Urban Service Area (USA) to a project within the USA.

We should follow our Comprehensive Plan that we have in place now, and hold fast on the Urban Service Boundary (USB). There is more than enough platted lots available for decades to come and therefore there is no reason to change our Land Development regulations. However, we should continue to look for creative ways to transfer development rights from outside the USB to projects inside the USB.

Mr. Baird has a good background and proven track record when it comes to the financial issues and the daily operations of the county. Mr. Baird is also a high profile representative of this county thus, he needs to remember to represent the county with dignity, honesty and humility.

The County Administrator has done an excellent job of helping to steer the county through this difficult economy. He has made the difficult decisions that needed to be made in regards to personnel, he has shown a fiscal prudence that resulted in the county having our bond rating upgraded, and the county is in a very strong financial position thanks to his work.

I believe that county employees, like any private or public sector employee, should be given pay raises based on job performance. Annual pay increases, or cost of living adjustments, should not be automatic. We need to look at multiple factors such as the cost of living in the area, the county budget, comparable pay for the same job in another location, and other factors before giving annual cost of living pay increases.

A complete job performance review should be done anytime there is a salary increase. However, it has to be a real evaluation and not just a rubber stamp. There should be constructive criticism as well as praise, and areas of shortcoming need to be pointed out and addressed. If appropriate, a cost of living increase is usually given across the board to all employees at the same rate.

I think code enforcement should be aggressive in the enforcement of code violations. The first two things to remember are private property rights and the due process. Every thing done by code enforcement must follow the written law.

Unfortunately, the root of this problem is the record number of foreclosure cases. The courts cannot keep up with the demand, resulting in situations where there is no accountable owner for months and months. Code enforcement cannot do anything with an owner who has abandoned the home, and until the bank takes over there is no suitable party to go after for enforcement.

I support televised meetings. Currently, the commissioner meetings are broadcast live and repeated several times a week on television and the meetings can be viewed on the computer. As for increasing citizen access to commission meetings, perhaps some limited agenda scheduled meetings could be held in the evenings or on weekends several times a year.

As Chairman I run the County Commission meetings with no time limit. As long as the speaker stays on point and does not become uncivil, they can speak for as long as they need. In addition, I allow public comment on any agenda action item, regardless if it is an official public hearing or not. The criticism I hear is our meetings go to long, not that a person was denied the opportunity to speak. I support continuing with the live TV and delayed broadcasts.

Florida’s open records and Sunshine laws are critical to the public to ensure that they have access to government documents and I support both. While sometimes the Sunshine Law can be interpreted to the extreme, it is needed to prevent abuse.

Indian River County’s water and sewer rates have remained stable and there is no current plan to raise those rates. We have a very financially strong utility system with a cash funded capital plan. The Board recently approved an increase in the rate charged for reuse water, and I voted against the proposed rate increases as excessive. We very recently voted to delay implementation of those rate increases, which I supported the delay.

If you mean those dirty rotten, evil, dishonest, scorch the earth and run developers, speculators and consultants, then no. If you mean the long time, family orientated, pillars of the community developers, speculators and consultants, then yes.

County Commissioners’ salaries are set by the State utilizing a population based formula. For the last 2 years, I have instructed Human Resources to take any net pay increase out of my paycheck and make a payroll deduction to the United Way. In this way I have frozen my salary for the last two years and given back to the community. A better way may be to have the State set a salary range and each Board can vote on where in the range they wish to be.

Mobile home communities have their place and function in the community, and zoning ordinances protect the existing mobile home communities. Affordable housing is a function of free enterprise, however, I do believe that the government can and at times should take a limited role to insure that affordable housing is made available but never as a free ride for homeowners or as a free lunch for developers.

Several years ago I voted on a land use change that makes mobile home communities a separate land use, and any change to that use (e.g. condos) would have to go through the full land use change process. This provided mobile home owners more protection from being evicted from the park. I will continue to vote to provide these homeowners safe and affordable housing.

Property taxes went up right along with the value of real estate. This is when the commissioners should have been cutting taxes and exercising wise and prudent spending. Now revenues are down with no reserve funds, not because the commissioners have cut taxes but because property values have plummeted, staff and services have been cut and the budget still needs to be trimmed. The only thing left to do is look at the projects the county is proposing and trim the fat. Follow the fat trimming up with either canceling or delay the projects. As for essential services, no one will ever say cut emergency services but there may come a time when emergency services will need to face the realities of budget constraints and they will need to hold spending at current or reduced levels with out cutting services.

I think we can save money on our utility consumption and do a better job leasing of current county property. Public safety should not be cut, but altered This is the life line of why citizens choose to live in Indian River County.

First, I feel public saftey is essential to our residents and should never be comprimised. With the declining tax revenues I think the county administrator should combine departments to run more efficiently. I would look at the non-profits to save money.

We have had declining tax revenue for the last two years. I inherited a budget with $103 million of property taxes, and we are currently at $88 million. We have eliminated vacant positions, reduced our spending, and, unfortunately, we had to eliminate positions that had been filled. While this has been across the board, obviously the building department has had the greatest reduction in work load, and a significant proportion of the eliminated positions. Public safety is of the highest concern and we need to make sure police and fire protection are fully funded, but these areas still need to tighten spending as much as possible.

We should encourage employers / business to relocate here, we could offer payment plans for impact fees or taxes, expedite the permit process to help a business get up and running but never give them a free ride with tax payers dollars. As for retaining current business, if they need a loan to keep afloat the county could loan money or delay taxes / fees or improve infrastructure but again no special treatment with taxpayers dollars.

Being a buisness owner myself and not having any support from local government I believe any buisness looking to locate here would have done its due diligence. As for helping companies expedite the permit process I am all in favor of that.

Government should create an environment that is conducive to business growth. I have worked very hard over the last few years to give Indian River County a reputation of a “business friendly” county. In recognition of those efforts, the Indian River Chamber of Commerce awarded me the Carolyn K. Eggert Economic Development award in 2009.

By the time new residential development reaches the commissioners that development has met the county land development code. My questions would be directed to county staff to ensure the code has been met.

County staff has many steps that residential developments have to go through before it comes before the Board of County Commission. The questions all get covered at each level of staff then finally in front of the BOCC. Questions such as roads, drainage, sidewalks and other infrastructure are all covered.

Is it needed? This is why I voted against the Liberty Park project. While Liberty Park may be a wonderful design and concept, putting another 1000 units on the market, outside the Urban Service boundary, when we have dozens of existing, busted subdivisions and thousands of foreclosed homes, didn’t make a bit of sense. When a commissioner has the opportunity to say “no”, they need the courage and backbone to stand up and say “NO”.

This was proposed in 2006 and never got off the ground. Indian River County has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to spending. I feel if the taxpayers are not happy with who is in office they will make the decision.

I am opposed to any ‘one size fits all” cap on local government budgets. I have had no problem in voting on smaller budgets three years in a row. Indian River County has the second lowest millage rate for the general fund in the State of Florida. And we have a representative form of government where the voters can decide who their elected officials will be. We are also financially strong and have an outstanding level of service to the community. To continue these positive aspects we need to keep flexibility in our budget process.

The county has a comprehensive plan, which address land use and zoning changes. Current laws allow citizen participation in the comprehensive planning process, including requirements for public notice and opportunities to speak at public hearings concerning rezoning.

Four years ago a change to a charter form of government was strongly discussed. In the subsequent 4 years, it is clear that the general population was not in favor of such a change and so therefore, I do not see charter as an issue. I will not bring a charter government forward, and if one is brought forward I will not support it.

I am opposed to amendment 4. It would require a public vote on every plan amendment no matter how small at considerable expense with frequent special or general elections on plan amendments. Sounds a little like charter government.

In terms of environmental conservation the answer is yes but only if the land has never been developed. If however, the land has been developed, such as a ranch, the answer would be no. By purchasing development rights we are actually paying money to someone to continue to do exactly what they have been doing on that land they still own. This is not environmental conservation and I would not support using tax revenues as subsidies to landowners.

Yes. The county’s Environmental Bonds provided funds to purchase the land, but not to maintain it. The cost of maintaining land can be staggering, up to 10% of the land value per year. With conservation easements, not only does the county strip away the development rights and thus preserve the land for perpetuity, but the land owner is required to maintain the property at the existing or higher level.

The initial cost of infrastructure is far to high for new growth to cover the total cost. Over time however, some of the initial infrastructure cost is recovered but ultimately the burden of cost is placed on the community. However, you can not ask taxpayers to pay for all development of infrastructure, this is why I will continue to support impact fees to help off set some of the initial infrastructure cost associated with new development.

No. Numerous studies show that for every dollar of taxes collected from residential properties, it takes greater than a dollar to provide needed services. Commercial property, and agriculture lands, are the opposite. For every dollar of tax collected, it takes less than a dollar to provide services necessary for commercial and agriculture. That is why it is very important to keep a balance of all land uses, and to be a strong supporter of our agriculture community.

Road projects always seem to take longer than projected, and this can have a major negative impact on local businesses. Currently all county road projects have a time period for completion, but allowances are made for unavoidable delays such as weather events. Some of the bigger road projects, SR 60, US 1 for example, are State DOT projects and out of the hands of the county.

I believe the biggest change I would make would be to attend more of the sessions. This way I could hear directly the pros and cons of each side. Most of the time we have worked well with our union negotiators. However there are always a few issues that create the greatest controversy and debate, and by being an observer of the negotiations I would be better informed.

There are many factors that can be used to measure the growth rate of an area. I would look for a balance between residential, commercial, and industrial uses along with jobs lost and created along with population increases or decreases.

Many factors go into a “proper” growth rate. Prices should be relatively stable, with slight year to year increases. “Time on the market” should be consistent, to achieve a balance between sellers and buyers. Inventory should also be steady, with a balance between supply and demand. Finally, infrastructure and level of service should be able to keep up with increased demand. When any of these factors gets too far skewed one way or the other, then the growth rate would not be in balance.

I always look at compensation as a “what are you getting for your money” scenario. We have many, many hard working, dedicated department heads with exceptional skills and dedication to the public. Our department heads clearly understand that they work for the public, and that the bottom line is to get the job done to serve the public.

For pedestrian safety there is a need for sidewalks. The land development code requires most new development to install sidewalks along roadways and tie them into existing sidewalks. Obviously there are some older properties in the county that were developed prior to the current sidewalk code requirements. In those cases, sidewalks can be installed during future road upgrades.

Florida leads the nation in pedestrian/bicyclist fatalities so yes sidewalks are a much needed safety improvement. However, we should prioritize sidewalks where they are needed the most, for example roads with no sidewalks, and not add additional sidewalks when they exist on one side of the road already (south A1A project). The county currently requires all new subdivisions to install sidewalks along the road frontage. For other areas, the county pursues FDOT and grant funding.

At this time all capital funding projects, that have not been funded, should be placed on hold, and evaluated. We need to take a good long hard look at how much these capital improvements are costing and can we get them done cheaper.

Other than road projects, the county has curtailed many other capital projects, mainly on a budget basis. Adding additional facilities such as community centers, fire stations, etc., comes with a huge operating cost, which the current budget situation cannot supply. Once the economy does rebound, a new fire station in the south county is a top priority.

Begin by approaching the municipalities to see if they would like to combine services such as law enforcement, parks, and utilities. Look at the current county departments and see if merging departments can save money. If there is no loss or decrease in service I say merge. But the important thing here is we don’t merge these services because the tax revenues are down we merge the departments because this is the common sense thing to do.

There are many areas where merging operations, either internally within the county and the Constitutional Officers, or between the county and the municipalities (and School District), where operating efficiencies may be obtained. Combining areas such as purchasing, payroll, and health care should be explored for potential cost savings. More substantive mergers, such as merging a municipal police department with the Sheriff’s Department, would need the municipalities to express interest in exploring.

I love to ride the train, I have taken many vacations using Amtrak as my primary mode of transportation, but before committing the community to rail service I would need to study the proposal and see if its good for this community.

I am a strong supporter of Amtrack passenger rail service along the east coast. I believe this will be a great economic boom as visitors from both north and south will have easy transportation to our community, spend a beautiful weekend here, and then return home. It is also a positive step towards a sustainable transportation system with reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

Although I support the selling of the power plant, it must be done wisely. It must be a win win situation for all of the residents. But I think both sides need to come clean on the numbers. All too often when questions are asked we hear numbers quoted in the millions of dollars, higher property taxes, loss of jobs and other information designed to cloud the facts. So just give the facts plain and simple.

Selling the power plant however, is not the end to high electric bills or our only issue. I have always been a proponent of solar energy and I would like to see solar energy become part of the energy and employment solution in Indian River County.

I do not support using county tax dollars for beach renourishment or restoration projects nor would I support sea walls. Despite all of our efforts to halt the natural process of beach erosion the external forces of nature is still winning. History has shown that beach renourishment programs don’t work; the evidence is out there and readily available. After all, if beach renourishment programs worked we would not need to continually renourish the beaches. I encourage people to read up on the Sebastian Inlet, the beach erosion process, and the Sebastian Inlet Tax District.

Part of the theory with vacation time is to give employees a break from work, so they can relax and recharge, then return to work and be more productive. It also gives other employees opportunities to handle the job duties of the employee on vacation, creating cross training opportunities and a more experienced work force. So for those reasons I would support a “use it or lose it” policy for vacation days for new hires. I believe there should be some allowance for accrual of sick time to cover the event of a major illness or serious accident. These events normally require a much longer time frame away from work. In regards to existing employees, we would need to compensate them for the days they have legally accrued per county policy, then switch them over to the new policy.